Container for cooling, storage, and shipping of human organ for transplant

ABSTRACT

A system of containers having an organ holding container in a compartment, the compartment having its major interior walls being a heat transfer cup, the exterior of the heat transfer cup being another compartment for holding heat absorbing material (ice and water), the two compartments surrounded by a wall and lids of a heat insulating material.

llnited States Patent '62/64; 195/104, l27, 1.7; 220/94 R,94 A; 229/43 Peterson [45] May V14, i974 i [54] CONTAINER FOR COOLING, STORAGE, 3,236,206 2/1966 willingt-r 119;62/3;457 AND SHIPPING 0F HUMAN ORGAN FOR 3,468,l36 9/1969 Swenson (i2/(14 l,5l2,945 l0/l924 Norcross 62/457- TRANSPLANT. 1,369,367 2/1921 Th6fnn6n 62/457 [76] Inventor.; william D, Peterson, 1996 E, 4675 1,721,311 7/1929 Muenchen 62/457 v South sa Lake Ctyf Utah 84117 FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPuCATloNs [22] Filedz July 16, 1970 672,665 9/1929 France 62/457 402,889 l2/l933 Great Britain 62/457 [21] APPL No" 55512 671,497 9/1929 Frnncn 62/457 i521 U.s. C1...g.'TI1162/4s672763, 627371, 62/372, prima@ Exm,-e, wi11iam 1 Wye 62/64, 195/104,` [9S/127, l95/l.7,220/9 4 [5l] Int. Cl. F2511 3/08 [57] ABSTRACT [58] Field-of Search 62/457, 463, 371, 372,

A system of containers having an organ holding container in a compartment, the compartment having its major interior walls being a heat transfer cup, the exterior of the heat transfer cup being another 'compartn ment for holding heat absorbing material (ice and water), the two compartments surrounded by a wall and lids of a heat insulating material.

7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures ,f ff

PATENTEDMAY 14 |914 SHE. 2 F 2 FIG DI BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates -to a need for being able to transfer a kidney or other human organ from a human cadaver or donor to the recipiant which in some cases may be lmany miles away. If an organ which has been removed is not to be implanted for several hours, it is desirable that the organ'be cooled andmaintained at 32 F, the transition temperature of ice to water. It is also desirable that the organ be kept sterile in a consistant normal saline solution which could vary if ice were used in the same container with the organ. Itis desirable that an organ being removed from the donor, be placed in a sterile container, which in turn is placed in a sterile compartment; such that, when the organ container is removed from the compartment at the facility for implantation, the container is sterile and can be handled in the. operating room without fear of contamination to the room and its contents.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION yThe invention is a system of containers, the system having two scalable lids for two separate lcompart-l ments, the outside ywalls of the system and two lids being made of a heat insulating material, the walls between the two compartments beingmade of a heat` transferring materialor, consisting of a heat transfer cup, the two compartments being sealed from each other. One compartment of the system is for holding a container which in turn holds an organ in asaline solution for cooling, storage, and/or shipping. The other compartment of the system is for ice and water .for cooling the organ to 32 F and maintaining it at that temperature until itis to be removed for implantation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING media between the heattransfer cup and the liner.

DESCRIPTION OF. THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The organ container system consists of basically two compartments. The upper or organ compartment houses the organ container which-is formed as a liner that hasta lid l which snaps on a cup 2. The lid Vl and cup 2 are standard plastic molded items-made of polypropylene or another material which is inert to human tissue. The human organ l3 or any other animal tissue being stored is kept submerged in a normal saline solution 4. The cup 2 and lid l are -keptsterile within the pre-sterilized organ compartment which is sealed from the outside atmosphere by anO-ring 5. The organ lid 6 is attached to the container base 7 lby threads 8. The cup 2 and lid l may be kept sterile without sterilization of the organ chamber by sealing them in a sterile container 1 9 such as a plasticA or film bag before placing them in the organ compartment.-

The ice 9 and water 10 compartment is separated from the organ compartment by a heat transfer cup ll made of a heat conducting material such as aluminum. The container base 7 is molded about, bonded to, and supports the heat transfer cup 1 1. Thev heat transfer cup t 1 l has an integral inverted cup l2 such that ice 9 floating on the water l0 is kept against the heat transfer wall or cup 1 ll bottom. The ice 9 and water 10 compartment is sealed from the outside atmosphere by an O-ring 13 and is accessible by removal of a lid 14 which is held in place by threads 15.

The lids 6 and 14 and base section 7- are made of polyurethane or another heat-insulating material with similar properties. The ice and water compartment lid 14 has integrally molded feet 16 consisting of a circular ring which provides additional insulation in that it creates an airpocket between itself and the floor it is seton. The organ compartment lid 6 has an integrally molded handle 17 for carrying the system and also has feet 18 to support the system when inverted for access to the ice 9 and water 10 chamber by removal of lid I4.

solution being kept sterile within a sealed and removable organ and saline holding compartment, said sealed compartment having common heat conducting walls to a heat controlling media containing compartment, said heat controlling media being a solution of ice and water to control the temperature of the saline to its temperature by heat transfer to and from the saline, said heat controlling media containing compartment having a lid opening for access to service the media, and said removable organ and saline holding compartment having a lid opening for access to service the saline and to place in and remove said organ.-

2. Container according to claim l with the addition of a sterile container surrounding the removable organ and saline holding compartment and interposed between it and the heat controlling media, said sterile container for keeping the exterior walls of the removable organ and saline 'holding compartment sterile.

3. A controlled temperature container comprising of a housing divided into two compartments separated by a heat-transferring cup-like member, one of said compartments being adapted to hold an animal organ and the other of said compartments adapted'to hold a heat absorbing material, said cup being lined with a removableV liner material inert to animal tissue and having an additional vsterile container surrounding the liner and interposed between it and the cup, having a pair of detachable lids, a first lid on said housing for opening and closing access to oneof said compartments anda second lid of saidl housing for opening and closing access to said other compartment.

4. A controlled temperature container comprising of a housing divided into two compartments separated by a heat-transferring cup-like member, one ,of said compartments being adapted to hold an animal organ and the other of said compartments adapted to hold a heat absorbing material, having a pair of detachable lids, a

first lid on said housing for opening and closing access to one of said compartments and a second lid of said housing for opening and closing access to said other compartment, said lids having feet on their exterior enabling the standing of the container on either end, and in which the feet of at least one of said lids are formed as a handle for carrying the container.

S. Container according to claim 4 with the addition of threads on the container base and lids, for holding the lids on and in place.

6. A controlled temperature container comprising of a housing divided into two compartments separated by a heat-transferring cup-like member, one of said compartments being adapted to hold an animal organ and the other of said compartments adapted to hold a heat absorbing material, said cup being lined with a removable liner material inert to animal tissue, having a fluid such as water between the heat transfer cup and the liner to improve the heat flow from the organ to the heat absorbing material, having a pair of detachable lids, a first lid on said housing for opening and closing access to one of said compartments and a second lid of said housing for opening and closing access to said other compartment.

7. A controlled temperature container comprising of two compartments separated by a heat-transferring member, one of said compartments being adapted to hold an animal organ and the other of vsaid compartment adapted to hold a heat absorbing material, said animal organ holding compartment being lined with a removable liner material inert to animal tissue, and having an additional sterile container surrounding the liner and interposed between it and the heattransferring member. 

1. A method of holding and preserving an animal organ for sustaining its life and for transporting said organ, having said organ in a normal saline solution, said solution being kept sterile within a sealed and removable organ and saline holding compartment, said sealed compartment having common heat conducting walls to a heat controlling media containing compartment, said heat controlling media being a solution of ice and water to control the temperature of the saline to its temperature by heat transfer to and from the saline, said heat controlling media containing compartment having a lid opening for access to service the media, and said removable organ and saline holding compartment having a lid opening for access to service the saline and to place in and remove said organ.
 2. Container according to claim 1 with the addition of a sterile container surrounding the removable organ and saline holding compartment and interposed between it and the heat controlling media, said sterile container for keeping the exterior walls of the removable organ and saline holding compartment sterile.
 3. A controlled temperature container comprising of a housing divided into two compartments separated by a heat-transferring cup-like member, one of said compartments being adapted to hold an animal organ and the other of said compartments adapted to hold a heat absorbing material, said cup being lined with a removable liner material inert to animal tissue and having an additional sterile container surrounding the liner and interposed between it and the cup, having a pair of detachable lids, a first lid on said housing for opening and closing access to one of said compartments and a second lid of said housing for opening and closing access to said other compartment.
 4. A controlled temperature container comprising of a housing divided into two compartments separated by a heat-transferring cup-like member, one of said compartments being adapted to hold an animal organ and the other of said compartments adapted to hold a heat absorbing material, having a pair of detachable lids, a first lid on said housing for opening and closing access to one of said compartments and a second lid of said housing for opening and closing access to said other compartment, said lids having feet on their exterior enabling the standing of the container on either end, and in which the feet of at least one of said lids are formed as a handle for carrying the container.
 5. Container according to claim 4 with the addition of threads on the container base and lids, for holding the lids on and in place.
 6. A controlled temperature container comprising of a housing divided into two compartments separated by a heat-transferring cup-like member, one of said compartments being adapted to hold an animal organ and the other of said compartments adapted to hold a heat absorbing material, said cup being lined with a removable liner material inert to animal tissue, having a fluid such as water between the heat transfer cup and the liner to improve the heat flow from the organ to the heat absorbing material, having a pair of detachable lids, a first lid on said housing for opening and closing access to one of said compartments and a second lid of said housing for opening and closing access to said other compartment.
 7. A controlled temperature container comprising of two compartments separated by a heat-transferring member, one of said compartments being adapted to hold an animal organ and the other of said compartment adapted to hold a heat absorbing material, said animal organ holding compartment being lined with a removable liner material inert to animal tissue, and having an additional sterile container surrounding the liner and interposed between it and the heat-transferring member. 